大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the 鈥楶eople鈥檚 War鈥� Web Site by Betty & Don TEMPEST of Lancshomeguard on behalf of Bob LANG and has been added to the Web Site with his permission.

鈥淒ischarged at Sea鈥�

In 1940, at16years of age,I wanted adventure. I worked about a mile away from Preston Docks. One night, returning home from work, a friend came and said there was a ship in Preston Dock. It was sailing in 3days and wanted two Ordinary Seamen.

I borrowed a bike, went to Preston dock and found the ship S.S. Como. I saw the Chief Officer told him I was an experienced Ordinary Seaman,nearly 18years old, (although I was only 16) and wanted to sign on. He told me to come back next morning, sign on, and we would sail at 11am.

Well, I had to concoct a story, so I told my mother I was going away for three days. She said I was not! I was too young! So, I ran away, and went to stay the night with a friend.

Next morning I went to the Docks, signed my Articles, and at 11am set sail. That was 25th. May 1940. I had never been on a ship before, and as we went down the river, I was Sea Sick. When at sea, because I had told the Chief Officer I had sailing experience, I was given jobs I鈥檇 never done before. The last one was steering the ship. Then the Officer knew I鈥檇 lied to him. The ship was all over the sea; I just couldn鈥檛 keep it straight. By then we were well out in the sea, so I couldn鈥檛 go back. But, after being found out, I had to learn Knots, Splicing, Steering, Boxing the Compass, everything.

But I was happy. I wanted to go to sea and was content. We were three days out and were in Convoy. I didn鈥檛 know what was happening, but one of my experienced mates said, 鈥淥h, we鈥檙e in trouble鈥�. I asked why, and he pointed to a flag on the Commanders ship. It was black with white dots, and my mate told me it meant enemy aircraft were attacking us. Then the German aircraft arrived. They bombed machine-gunned us. Several ships were sunk and the crews were lost, a lot, who were in the water, drowned.

I was then told something I never forgot.鈥� Never take your clothes off whilst at sea, and keep your Life Jacket on at all times鈥�.

That night, the Naval ships left us to escort another Convoy to England. We continued and shortly after the Naval Ships had left were attacked by 鈥楿-Boats. They surfaced, and torpedoed the ships. Nine ships were sunk; two of them Tankers and the sea was in flames. Many of the crews were in the water, surrounded by the flames and there was nothing we could do to save them.

This was my first experience of real war, and it was frightening. But I didn鈥檛 want to leave the Merchant Navy. This was my life and I wanted to continue.

Some of the bravest people I ever saw at sea were ships firemen. When we were attacked, they would go down to the engine room and stoke the fires to keep the ship moving. Even though they knew that if the ship was hit, they would be dead.

The voyage continued and eventually arrived at Gibraltar. Never having been there before I thought it was beautiful. We stayed 3days and then went to Lisbon, Portugal.

There we were allowed off the boat, but warned that German spies were onshore. We went into several bars and were approached by the spies, who were very friendly and bought us loads of drinks. But we didn鈥檛 tell them anything, not that we could have done if we had wanted, because we didn鈥檛 know anything. But we still got the free drinks.

We eventually loaded the ship with large blocks of tin and general cargo, food etc. and set off back to England. We were in convoy and were attacked several times by 鈥楿鈥� Boats. The convoy was broken up and we raced for the U.K. About three days out we formed up again, but several ships were missing. Eventually we arrived at Liverpool.

When we did arrive at Liverpool, three of us expected to be thrown out for telling lies about our age and experience. But we received our pay, a Merchant Navy Badge and a discharge book saying our ability and conduct was 鈥榁ery Good鈥�. We were told that for the duration of the war we were in the Merchant Navy and whilst waiting for another ship would receive 拢3 per week, and would receive a telegram telling us to report for sea.

They also told us we had to buy all our clothing and gear for sea. The only thing they provided was a 鈥淒onkey鈥檚 Breakfast鈥�. This was our bed, made of straw.

My mother found out about me being in the Merchant Navy, at first she was terrified for me, But gradually she became used to it, realising that I would have to join the war sometime. I also gave her a good allowance.

During the war I served on Nine Merchant Ships, travelling all over the world. I saw Christmas in Iceland, the Pacific and South and West Africa, and went to the Western Approaches, experiencing Ice Bergs, Snow, Bad Visibility, knowing if we fell in the water we would freeze to death. We were attacked on many occasions by 鈥楿-Boats and Airplanes, but survived.

In 1943, I joined the SS Kingswood at Liverpool. We set sail and landed in Lagos, West Africa. After loading up with cargo we left on the 17th. December 1943 and set sail for the U.K. By then, because of training, I was a Quartermaster, in charge of steering the ship.

We were sailing through the Gulf of Guinea, off the Ivory Coast and I was steering. The time reached Eight Bells (8pm), I was relieved, and I went for my 鈥楤lack Pan鈥� evening meal. (Called that because it was the best meal of the day) I went down into the Mess Room where a lot of off duty lads were. I was just about to start eating when suddenly the ship rose up, dropped down and listed over onto the Starboard side, which is the right going forward. The ship was still travelling about 14knots.

Immediately the Captain ordered 鈥楢bandon Ship鈥� over the warning system and all lights went out. Unfortunately the Mess Room door had jammed and we couldn鈥檛 get out. We were sinking, but were trapped in the Mess Room. We tried banging the door with the Table, but it wouldn't move. I still remember to this day that one of the men said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e Going鈥�. I have to admit I thought we were.

Suddenly the ship moved again and the door opened 18inches and we managed to squeeze through.

We went up the Companion Way onto deck and it was chaos. There was one lifeboat left, jammed because the ship was turning over. A crewmember slid down to the lifeboat, kicked it loose and it swung out over the water. My job was to get to the boat and release it when everyone was in.

Unfortunately the ship was still travelling at 14 knots and was rapidly turning over. The engineer should have turned the engines off, but hadn鈥檛 and was in the water.

Suddenly there was another explosion as a second torpedo hit the ship. I was thrown into the sea and went straight down under the water. My whole life passed before my eyes and I honestly thought I was dying.

Suddenly I popped up to the surface, brought up by the Life jacket. The ship was close to me and the propeller blades, still turning, passed close to my head. I swung my head away and the ship went by. It continued to sail on and I was left in the South Atlantic, alone. Everything was quiet and very dark.

I was confused, but when I came to my senses I looked around for something to cling to and found part of a Hatch Board. I managed to lie on it and then I heard this screaming. It was another shipmate and I managed to pull him onto the Hatch Board. Whilst I was doing this I found my left hand fingers were broken.

Earlier, before we were torpedoed, we had seen sharks in the water. I was conscious that they might attack us, so I kicked my legs to frighten them away. It was much later that I found out this was the wrong thing to do.

We lay in the water for some time and then heard shouting, 鈥楢ny Survivors?鈥� It was our lifeboat packed with survivors. It was only supposed to hold 14, but 59 were on board. They grabbed us and managed to pull us into the boat, but we had to be very careful. No moving about, it was very low in the water and could easily tip over

It was very dark and then we heard an engine, then a searchlight. It was the 鈥楿-Boat that had sunk us. It approached us and we were asked for our Captain, but we told them he wasn鈥檛 there. They wanted someone to go onto the 鈥楿-Boat and speak to their Captain. Obviously we thought that would be the last we would see of them, so no one volunteered. Eventually one of our firemen did and was lifted up onto the 鈥楿-Boat. He was asked questions by the Captain about our boat, its name, cargo and destination, and then was returned to the lifeboat. We waited with our heads bowed, thinking we would be shot, but the 鈥楿-Boat left us and sailed away.

We drifted about 2 days. We spotted Aircraft and ships, and sent up smoke signals and flares, but no one saw us. Sharks were circling the boat. We were short on water. All we had to eat were Horlicks, Chocolate Tablets, and big biscuits, but I couldn鈥檛 eat them. I was feeling rough. I had no clothes on and was very sunburnt. My hand was very sore, and I had discovered a large gash in my groin.

On the 3rd. morning we saw specks on the horizon. They got nearer and we saw African fishermen from Grand Popo in large 70foot canoes. They were a bit wary until one of our Officers held up his wristlet watch, then they came, rescued us in their canoes, and took us ashore.

When we reached the beach we crawled ashore. We鈥檇 been cooped up in a lifeboat for three days and were very stiff, cramped and exhausted. We鈥檇 had no food and very little water, and the sun had burnt us all. It was wonderful being rescued. And we were very grateful.

When we landed 100s of children from all the villages around came to see us. The Jungle Drums had obviously been beating. Unfortunately we were exhausted and in a collapsed state and the children were in wonder of us.

The ladies from the villages brought bowls of African potatoes, 鈥榊ams鈥�, cooked in Palm oil. They were very hot and we couldn鈥檛 eat them right away. They had to cool before we could eat them, and they were beautiful. We slept on the beach, under the stars, and the natives looked after us. We couldn鈥檛 communicate verbally, but we got through to each other and we thought they were wonderful, but we still wondered what was going to happen to us.

After a couple of days the Chief noticed I had a problem with my hands and took me to the Witch Doctor. I sat on the ground in front of him and he performed a ceremony. Throwing stones at my hands and saying what I assumed were Witch Doctors Prayers. After 20minutes he stopped. I was pleased because my hand felt worse, but our 2nd. Officer said we had to let them do it to show gratitude.

Our Captain decided we couldn鈥檛 stay there forever, so we began to walk up the beach. Each village we passed, children came down, dancing round us and nearly driving us into the sea. They thought it was fun, but we were a bit worried.

After about 14miles, guessing of course, we decided to go inland but had no idea where we were. We met up with another Tribe and they looked after us for a while. One day they killed a wild boar, roasting it over a fire. When it was ready we ate it. It was lovely.

We stayed for 2/3days, but had to keep moving, so continued into the jungle, and met a tribe of Pygmies. They were shy and reluctant at first, but the drums must have been beating because they started looking after us. After a couple of days with the Pygmies we set off again. I was feeling really bad. I had no shoes and my feet were very sore and bleeding.

Suddenly, just before sunset, our rescuers, the Royal West African Frontier Force, came out of the jungle and found us. They had got messages over the Drums and been looking for us for days. They took us to their wagons and fed us corn beef and hard tack. At night we slept round big log fires with plenty of smoke to keep mosquitoes away. They were eating us alive. I was bitten all over and went to the cabin of a wagon, but it was just as bad, so I went back to the fire. Next day we were taken to an abandoned Foreign Legion Post and slept on old folding bunk beds. That night I had my first nightmare about being trapped in the Mess Room. It was frightening. I left the bed and ran around the Parade Ground until my mates got me and woke me. I still suffer flash backs of the sinking and being trapped.

We stayed in the Foreign Legion Post for 2days and then set off, driving through the jungle on the three wagons. We reached a wide river and were taken across on a huge raft. One wagon at a time with men on it. Then back for the others. Eventually we made it across.

The jungle was too thick for big wagons so we transferred to 鈥楳ammy鈥� wagons. Small, like jeeps. We drove through the jungle on them and it was horrible. It was the worst journey of my life. It took all day and we were exhausted. Eventually we reached Accra on the Gold Coast.

I went to 37 General Hospital and spent some time there having my injuries attended. I was given an Army Uniform and went to Takordi Army base to join the rest of my shipmates. After my second day, I collapsed with Malaria and was taken to Takoradi European Hospital for 10days.

My mates visited and we had laughs. They measured me for a coffin and tried to force beer down me, but they were chased out and banned.

On release from hospital, the Commissioner for West Africa invited my mates and I to his home for a function, given by him and his wife, to the crew of the SS Kingswood. It was a great occasion and we felt honoured at being selected.

The sad thing was that, because we had been sunk at sea, we had officially been 鈥淒ischarged at Sea鈥�. This, in those days, was the way the Merchant Navy operated. If any seaman was sunk at sea they were automatically discharged from the Merchant Navy.

We spent our time at Takordi with the Forces, training to invade Burma. We also went to the docks, hoping to find seamen we knew and longing for a ship home.

Not long after the plasters were removed from my hands,there was a ship to take us home, SS Orduna. She took us to England, calling at Gibraltar where HMS Warspit joined us, coming home with us for 鈥楧鈥橠ay.

We landed at Liverpool, went through Intelligence, got our trains and went home. That was five months after the sinking and being 鈥楧ischarged at Sea鈥�.

I got 30days leave and 拢20 survivor鈥檚 money. On going for that money we were told there was a problem. We couldn鈥檛 have the money right away if we hadn鈥檛 got a 鈥榁鈥� on our I.D.card. So two of us, me and my mate Eric Hornby agreed to have the 鈥榁鈥� on our card, which meant we volunteered for 鈥楧鈥橠ay.

We had medicals, Eric was accepted, I wasn鈥檛 and was sent to the South Atlantic on a Merchant Ship until the end of the war.

After the war I was offered a ship by the 2nd. Mate of the Kingswood, but couldn鈥檛 go because I was married.

In 1983 I wrote to the German Bundesrepublic asking to get in touch with anyone knowing about the sinking of SS Kingswood on 17th.December 1943.

I got a letter back naming two sailors living in Germany, Carl MOLLER and Herman KASPERS. I wrote to them and they wrote back. Eventually they came to England and stayed at my home.

We were invited to Wuppertal in Germany to a function of German 鈥楿鈥橞oat Officers. It was fantastic, they were from all over the world and my wife and I were made very welcome. I was presented with a gold 鈥楿鈥橞oat badge.

I always appreciate the fact that I was involved in the Second World War. Glad that I survived, but I have to say I would be happy to do it all again.

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